UCI vs. Whittier College

Should I go to University of California Irvine or Whittier College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if UCI or Whittier College is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.
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University of California Irvine vs. Whittier College comparison
University of California Irvine Whittier College College 3 College 4
University of California Irvine Whittier College
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Overview

 UCI Whittier College
Location Irvine, CA Whittier, CA
Setting Rural Fringe Large Suburban
Enrollment 35,937 1,192
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #91 #273
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website uci.edu whittier.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 UCI Whittier College
Tuition (In State) $11,564 $48,924
Tuition (Out of State) $41,636 $48,924
Room & Board $17,699 $15,623
Avg Net Price $14,033 $28,368
Avg Grant Aid $17,411 $34,623
% Receiving Grant Aid 80% 100%

Admission

 UCI Whittier College
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 119,191 3,014
Admitted 25,212 2,274
Acceptance Rate 21.2% 75.4%
Enrolled % 22.5% 10.9%
Avg High School GPA 3.75 3.61
Typical High School Grades A- B+
Admissions Standards Very High Difficult
Applicant Competition Very High
ACT Range 26/33 24/30
SAT Range 1230/1430 1140/1340
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Nov 30, 2023

Academics

 UCI Whittier College
Student to Faculty Ratio 18:1 10:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (23%)
  • Biology (16%)
  • Psychology (11%)
  • Business (8%)
  • Engineering (8%)
  • Social Sciences (22%)
  • Business (17%)
  • Psychology (8%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (8%)
  • Biology (7%)

Outcomes

 UCI Whittier College
Graduation Rate 85% 55%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $61,800 $47,400
Making Student Loan Payments 76% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $17,000 $25,500
Median Loan Payment $175 $263

Diversity

 UCI Whittier College
% Men 45% 44%
% Women 55% 56%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 15% 31%
% Black 2% 5%
% Hispanic 25% 44%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 4%
% International 16% 3%
% Unknown Race 1% 1%

Students

 UCI Whittier College
% In-State 81% 64%
% Out-of-State 7% 27%

Campus

 UCI Whittier College
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No
Daycare Facility Yes No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • University of California Irvine is larger than than Whittier College based on total student enrollment (35,937 students vs. 1,192 students)

UCI vs. Whittier College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UCI or Whittier College?

  • Whittier College is 323.1% more expensive to attend than UCI for in-state tuition ($48,924.00 vs. $11,564.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 17.5% higher at Whittier College than University of California Irvine ($48,924.00 vs. $41,636.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of California Irvine than Whittier College ($14,033 vs. $28,368)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Whittier College are 13.3% lower than costs at University of California Irvine ($15,623 vs. $17,699)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Whittier College than University of California Irvine (100% vs. 80%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Whittier College students is 98.9% larger than aid received University of California Irvine ($34,623 vs. $17,411)

UCI vs. Whittier College Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, UCI or Whittier College? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Whittier College or UCI .

  • The average SAT score at University of California Irvine (1175) is 118 points higher than at Whittier College (1057)
  • Incoming UCI students have a 4 point higher average ACT score (27) than students at Whittier College (23)
  • Accepted freshman UCI students have a 0.14 point higher average high school GPA (3.75) than students at Whittier College (3.61)
  • Whittier College has a higher acceptance rate (75.4%) than UCI (21.2%)

UCI vs. Whittier College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UCI or Whittier College? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between Whittier College and UCI.

  • The graduation rate at UCI is higher than Whittier College (85% vs. 55%)
  • Graduates from University of California Irvine earn on average $14,400 more per year than Whittier College graduates after ten years. ($61,800 vs. $47,400)
  • University of California Irvine students graduate with a $8,500 lower median federal student loan debt than Whittier College graduates. ($17,000 vs. $25,500)
  • UCI graduates are paying $88 less per month on federal student loans than Whittier College graduates. ($175 vs. $263)
  • More UCI graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Whittier College students, three years after graduation. (76% vs. 69%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/